Russian strikes in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast; Kyiv admits breakthrough

Russian Air Strikes Rock Dnipropetrovsk Region as Kyiv Acknowledges First Breakthrough in the Region This Week

The Russian Federation launched a massive air attack on the Dnipropetrovsk region, where Ukrainian authorities recently confirmed for the first time that Russian forces had managed to make a breakthrough. The information was reported by the regional governor, Serhiy Lysak, and cited by global news agencies, including Agence France-Presse and BTA. According to Lysak, the night strikes affected two key cities – Dnipro and Pavlohrad.

In a message posted on the Telegram platform, Lysak issued an urgent appeal to residents to take cover in shelters, as explosions were heard in the cities. This appeal came shortly after the Ukrainian Air Force issued a warning about an approaching cruise missile targeting the region.

In parallel with the attack on the Dnipropetrovsk region, explosions also echoed in the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region. The governor of Zaporizhzhia, Ivan Fedorov, also used Telegram to inform the public about the situation. He posted a photo showing a burning house in the regional capital – the city of Zaporizhzhia – and reported power outages in the area. Fedorov specified that the city was attacked by at least three drones.

As a result of the attack on Zaporizhzhia, local authorities, cited by the UNIAN agency, reported three injured citizens.

These latest attacks occur against the backdrop of a significant development on the front. Earlier this week, on Tuesday, Kyiv officially acknowledged for the first time that Russian soldiers had entered the Dnipropetrovsk region. This acknowledgment represents an important strategic moment, as Moscow has long claimed to have made progress in this region since July. The Russian government often uses state-controlled media to disseminate its own version of events, which often differs from that presented by Ukrainian and independent Western sources.

The incursion into the Dnipropetrovsk region carries particular weight, as the region is not among the five Ukrainian oblasts that Russia has officially declared annexed. Although the Russian army currently controls approximately 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, this specific breakthrough signals a potential expansion of military actions beyond previous boundaries. Analysts point out that such actions could have serious consequences for regional stability and escalate the conflict in new directions.